Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY190084A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:12 We're so glad that you've joined us 01:14 as you do each and every day. 01:15 Thank you for allowing us to come from our living room 01:18 here at 3ABN into your living room 01:21 or maybe you're driving in your car 01:23 and listening to 3ABN Radio and just, 01:25 we appreciate your support. 01:27 We appreciate you being a part of our family 01:31 and as this open plays which is all those graphics 01:33 and the music you hear 01:35 as just before we say hello to you, 01:37 that's what we call the open. 01:39 It's powerful song, mending broken people, 01:42 and that's what the ministry of 3ABN is all about. 01:44 Amen. 01:45 It's mending broken people and today, 01:46 we're talking about 01:48 prison ministry, which is again. 01:50 Yay! 01:52 Mending broken people and, oh, I'm looking forward 01:53 to today's program very much. 01:54 We have a dear, 01:56 what I'm gonna say, guest, right? 01:57 Friend and family member of the ministry of 3ABN. 02:01 I just love prison ministry. I do too. 02:03 You know, I spent five years going into our local jail 02:07 with the women there and just to see the impact 02:09 that prison ministry makes to see the need, 02:12 people desperate, lonely, longing for help 02:16 and hope and Jesus. 02:18 That's right. 02:19 And to know that we can have a part 02:20 in reaching people with the gospel, 02:23 people when there, you could say, 02:25 at rock bottom or need help the most. 02:28 So I'm excited about this program, 02:29 and especially about our family member. 02:31 That's right. 02:32 Lemuel Vega, privilege to have you here. 02:34 You're the founder of Christmas Behind Bars. 02:37 That's correct. 02:38 And it wasn't my idea, so I take no credit. 02:40 So the Lord has made the foundation possible 02:44 that we can be of His servants to share hope 02:46 wherever we go in the world. 02:48 So praise the Lord. 02:49 Thank you for having us here 02:51 and talking about prison ministries. 02:52 Oh, yeah, and like Jill mentioned, 02:53 3ABN also has a powerful prison ministry outreach 02:57 and thank you for your help, 02:59 with helping 3ABN or supporting, you know, 03:02 3ABN's prison ministry as well 03:04 and we in turn like to support you as well. 03:06 That's right. 03:08 Your wife wasn't able to be with us today 03:09 but she's very much partnered with you 03:11 in Christmas Behind Bars. 03:13 And. 03:14 Lemuel, Christmas Behind Bars is what, 03:16 it sounds like something to do with Christmas, 03:18 but it's not just Christmas time. 03:20 So in case someone's just joining us 03:21 for the first time it says 03:23 Oh, Christmas Behind Bars, that's around Christmas time, 03:25 it makes sense but it's not just Christmas. 03:27 The true meaning of Christmas is we know it, 03:29 biblical standpoint is that it's a plan of salvation 03:33 that Jesus came and so we think of that gift 03:35 and we think of the wise men, 03:37 the shepherds and the birth of Christ, 03:39 and then we roll right on to the crucifixion of Christ, 03:42 the life of Christ and that's what 03:44 we want to focus on as we share the hope 03:46 with the inmates is a life of Christ, 03:48 and the resurrection of Jesus, and the soon return of Jesus. 03:51 So Christmas Behind Bars, if anybody had a happy time 03:56 in their life and inmate, 03:57 we would hope it was some point at Christmas. 03:59 You know, you think Christmas time, 04:01 it's a loneliest time of one's life 04:03 when they're in prison. 04:04 Wow 'cause we're thinking family. 04:06 Yeah. I can't be with my family. 04:08 Family, friends, grandma, any happy time Christmas, 04:11 it weighs down on you when you're an inmate. 04:14 So what is Christmas Behind Bars? 04:15 Christmas Behind Bars is a ministry 04:18 that visits jails and prisons. 04:21 We make gift packages, the wrapping paper is not 04:24 red and glittery and pretty and it's a brown paper sack 04:27 and we fill it with essentials, granola bars, 04:31 and chips, and cashews, 04:33 and things to be a blessing to reach them 04:36 and let them know there's hope for their life. 04:38 Hygiene items, soap, shampoo, deodorant, 04:40 things like that to be a blessing to their life. 04:43 Toothpaste. Toothpaste, yes, correct. 04:46 Toothbrushes, we have to cut them off. 04:47 They can only be that big 04:49 so we can make and so we take it 04:50 and cut off a long handled toothbrush, 04:52 but Christmas Behind Bars is a ministry 04:54 that actually started out of an experience, 04:58 for I was a recipient 05:00 when I was in jail as a young person, you know, 05:03 I was born into a Christian home, 05:07 but my life was unmanageable. 05:09 It was hopeless. 05:11 I was tied to my seat in second grade 05:12 with a jump rope, 05:14 third grade I was kicked out of a Christian School 05:15 and a public school, 05:17 so my whole life seemed dysfunctional. 05:18 And as a young person, 05:21 I realized alcohol could numb that. 05:23 Alcohol could numb that, mask that pain of life 05:26 so I was a young person, didn't want to live. 05:28 How young when you took your first drink? 05:30 Probably fourth grade, fourth grade. 05:32 Oh, wow. 05:33 You know, you stand outside of 711 or a liquor store 05:35 and you got enough money you can buy two six packs 05:37 somebody's gonna, you buy them one, 05:39 you take one, you drink three or four, 05:41 throw the rest away, go home and you can sleep 05:43 and life doesn't matter. 05:44 I just want to go back a moment because I'm stuck there, 05:47 you're talking out, but I'm stuck. 05:49 Second grade tied in your chair? 05:51 Yeah, tied in my chair 'cause I was up walking around 05:54 and, you know, and so it was dysfunctional. 05:57 My life I guess was just unmanageable. 05:58 I didn't like school. 05:59 I got bullied at school, 06:01 I hated going to school every day. 06:02 I never got recess in school. 06:04 I always had to stay in and write sentences. 06:06 You know, I will not talk in class, 06:08 you know 500 sentences 06:09 and my mindset was teacher says, 06:11 she wants 500 sentences, 06:12 I will not talk in class so I wrote those 500 06:15 and then I had the idea, I'll just write another 500, 06:17 I tuck them in my desk. 06:18 So next time she asked for 500, so here they are. 06:22 And that didn't go over so well. 06:23 And then she started changing the words. 06:25 So homework didn't get done. I didn't get it. 06:29 And so now our heart goes out to these people to help them, 06:34 children to understand try in school, 06:36 you know, third grade kicked out 06:37 of a Christian school and a public school 06:40 and so life was just a failure. 06:42 So you took your first drink, you're in fourth grade? 06:44 Yeah, probably started drinking. 06:46 Trying to numb that? Yeah, mom was poor. 06:49 We were poor and I thought that 06:51 somehow money could fix life's problems. 06:53 So money, if we have enough money, 06:56 everything would be okay. 06:58 But then I didn't use the money 06:59 that I made selling drugs to help at home, 07:02 I just, so my life was continually. 07:05 Okay so went from alcohol to drugs, to selling drugs? 07:06 Alcohol, drugs, selling drugs 07:09 and I made a lot of money in the Chicago area. 07:12 And by the time I was 18, 07:13 I moved down to a rural community in Indiana 07:16 because I started dealing with people 07:18 that injected drugs, heroin addicts, 07:20 and they were robbing drug stores 07:22 and so now not just selling little drugs, 07:24 it was selling big drugs. 07:25 And you know, I got robbed 07:27 and then I know who did it and... 07:28 How old are you at this time? 07:29 Seventeen. Oh, wow. 07:31 I got robbed and so I got a gun and then I realized 07:33 that I knew who did it and I went between the boy 07:37 now in the currency exchange and I knew their apartment. 07:39 I said, you know, I had a gun 07:42 and I walked away from it 07:43 'cause I either had to kill someone 07:45 or I was gonna get killed in that lifestyle. 07:47 So I moved to grandmother's house town, 07:49 Bluffton, Indiana, little rural community 07:52 and it wasn't long and there I was committed 07:55 to jail facing 10 to 20 years in prison. 07:58 I was 18 years old now 07:59 facing 10 to 20 years in prison. 08:02 Was it your past drug charges 08:03 that have caught up with you or...? 08:05 No, I brought all kinds of new stuff with me 08:07 and just breaking into people's houses 08:09 not because you needed the stuff, 08:10 we had lots of money. 08:12 We did it just to do it, you know, just done, 08:15 misguided energy, you know. 08:17 And so there you are in the county jail 08:18 facing 10 to 20 years in prison, 08:20 your friends don't come no more. 08:23 Mail don't come. 08:25 Phone call, just there you are alone. 08:28 You know, you're alone. You're looking at your past. 08:31 And my desire at that age 18 years old, 08:33 my desire was to reach out to the 13 year olds. 08:36 At 18 years of age? Yeah. 08:37 Really? 08:39 It's like, man, if I could just tell these people, 08:40 if I could just let them know to do good in school 08:43 and to try and not give up. 08:44 And so I had that desire. 08:46 So you didn't want them to walk the path 08:48 that you were walking? 08:49 Yeah, if they could change a young, 08:51 it can save a lot of pain 08:52 'cause now my future is going to prison. 08:54 And so there I am, and so I did. 08:55 You know, I wanted to reach out to those people. 08:57 I went to prison, but before I went to prison, 09:02 there was a group of people that came into that jail. 09:04 Oh, wow. 09:06 And they came in to sing a few songs to us. 09:08 They didn't tell us about Jesus. 09:09 They didn't give us a Bible. 09:11 They didn't tell us they had been in prison. 09:12 They didn't tell us that if we didn't change our ways, 09:14 we wasn't going to heaven. 09:16 They came and they simply sang 8, 10, 12 songs, and they left. 09:21 That was it? 09:23 And I had tears in my eyes that these people would come 09:25 when all my friends don't come, 09:26 that these people would come, that left an impact on my life. 09:30 Now the Gideon's would come, 09:32 and they would have church in the jail, 09:35 I'd never go out and listen to what the Gideon's had to say. 09:38 But I'd stand at myself and I would listen 09:41 and so, even though people might be 09:43 involved in jail or prison ministries, 09:45 maybe you don't see a lot of people come out, 09:47 but somehow you're sowing seeds 09:49 of hope at that time in their life. 09:50 That's great. 09:52 So everyone in our jails and prisons, 09:54 they're at a place they don't want to be. 09:56 They want change, 09:58 even if it's for an address change 10:01 to go home and be with their children or family. 10:03 But you and I, as Christians know 10:06 that it's the internal change that they've been seeking for. 10:10 And so, if we can just lift them up, encourage them, 10:15 and direct them to Christ. 10:16 You see there's a God sized hole 10:18 or that void right inside of one's life 10:20 if you don't know Jesus, 10:21 so tell us the conversion experience then? 10:23 So you're in jail, 18, had a desire to share Jesus 10:26 or to share with young people? 10:28 Right. 10:29 I don't know your experience with God at that point. 10:30 Where do you have that change? 10:32 Didn't have a change there, went off to prison. 10:34 I OD'd on my way to prison, 10:36 overdosed I took drugs on the way to prison. 10:38 How did you even get drugs? 10:40 Jails and prisons have drugs and alcohol 10:42 and they have all that stuff. 10:43 And I knew I was going to prison. 10:45 And I had saved all the... 10:47 Unbeknownst to your officials maybe, but, yeah. 10:50 And so the morning they told me to pack my stuff. 10:52 I took a whole bunch of pills. 10:53 And I remember just, it was over on the back 10:57 of the sheriff's car on the way to prison. 10:58 I just passed out and I woke up 11:01 at Wishard Memorial Hospital and the doctors asked me, 11:03 they said, "Why do you try to kill yourself?" 11:06 I said, "I didn't." I said, "Don't you understand? 11:08 I'm going to prison and I'm scared." 11:09 Yeah. 11:11 And you know, so my life was saved 11:12 at that point in my life and in prison. 11:15 I tried to get my GED, and I failed. 11:18 And so I just laid up in my cell and I said, 11:21 "Look, I can't get it. 11:23 And so I got a job in prison 11:25 and so I worked in a furniture factory there 11:28 and prison went on. 11:30 I mean, prison is a life of dysfunction, 11:35 you know, so more dysfunction. 11:36 All my life I felt like a failure. 11:38 But I'm in prison one day, 11:40 and I went to the chapel service. 11:41 And I remember sitting in the back, 11:44 third row in the back third seat in, there I was, 11:47 and I don't remember what the preacher preached. 11:49 I don't remember the songs that were sung 11:51 or the prayers that was prayed, but I remembered 11:53 bowing my head and I said, 11:54 "Dear Jesus, if ever you can use me, 11:56 I want to be used by you, you know." 11:59 And I left that chapel service, 12:01 there was a box of peanuts here 12:02 one and only time never before, never after, 12:04 there's a box of peanuts roasted salted in the shell. 12:07 And I love peanuts, the real good peanuts, 12:09 the salted peanuts, the real roasted peanuts, 12:11 and I filled my state coat with peanuts. 12:13 And I am eating them all the way 12:14 back to my cell house. 12:15 Throwing the shells on the ground said," 12:17 Man, these are awesome." 12:18 These are good and I got back to my cell. 12:20 I said, "Man, I can never get these again." 12:21 And so I took out the remaining peanuts 12:23 out of my pocket, put them in my locker. 12:25 And every day I would take out a peanut 12:27 and sit on my bunk and eat that peanut. 12:30 One peanut a day? One peanut a day. 12:31 Wow. 12:33 So people come in to sing in the county jail 12:37 in prison receiving something 12:39 from the outside world asking God, 12:41 said, if ever you can use me, I want to be used by you. 12:44 I was released from prison 12:45 and I was released with a desire to do right. 12:48 I want to do right and you know Lemuel 12:51 self-improvement plan didn't work very well. 12:54 Okay. So we can have a plan. 12:55 This is behavior modification, like external modification 12:59 but not a heart change. 13:00 Yeah, it's good point. 13:02 Have you ever thought about that? 13:03 Have you ever seen people try to do that? 13:04 Absolutely. 13:06 Without Christ, it just doesn't work. 13:07 And so, so I fell flat. 13:09 I started taking drugs back to the prison, 13:11 I'd meet the officers outside the prison, 13:13 and they would take the drugs into prison, 13:15 and my friends would sell them and money would come, 13:17 you know and so for much of my life, 13:21 it was terrible. 13:22 I went to treatment for the first time in my life 13:24 and I hate to tell people that if your son or daughter's 13:28 ever been through treatment, they haven't got anything. 13:31 Because if it's not Christ centered, 13:33 a medication can't do it. 13:35 And so I went to treatment, treatment couldn't help me. 13:38 But there was somebody that came to my hospital room 13:41 the second time I went to treatment, 13:43 and they had prayer with me and it was an Adventist pastor 13:46 from the Marion Seventh-day Adventist Church. 13:48 And he told me something. 13:50 He said, "Lemuel, I am gonna tell you something 13:51 that I've never told anybody before my life." 13:53 Christian, never been in jail, never been in prison, 13:56 so I didn't think he could understand me. 13:58 But he said that when his mother died, 13:59 he said he got addicted to cough syrup. 14:02 And I'm thinking, oh man, I had 48 hours clean. 14:04 My drug was in the parking lot still, 14:06 I threw them in the parking lot. 14:07 I walked into treatment, I wanted help, 14:08 my mind was still really, really confused. 14:11 And this guy come in and he says, 14:13 he got addicted to cough syrup. 14:15 And I listened to him out of respect. 14:16 He had prayer with me. 14:18 He said, "The Lord helped him with that problem." 14:20 Oh, wow. And he left. 14:22 And I pushed my bed up against the door, 14:24 I was in the valley of decision. 14:26 Do I want to try or not try? 14:28 I've tried for 35 years and I've always failed, 14:30 always come up short, always hurt people. 14:33 And so there I was in the valley of decision. 14:35 I walked over to my picture window. 14:37 It was in the western sky. It was on a Friday evening. 14:39 Wow. 14:41 And I saw the most beautiful sunset 14:42 I've ever seen in my life. 14:43 You know, in third grade 14:45 I heard there were no two snowflakes 14:46 ever created the same. 14:47 I don't know whether it's true or not. 14:49 I said, "Man, if God can paint that, 14:51 somehow He can help me." 14:52 Amen. 14:54 And I kneeled down in that hospital room 14:55 for the first time in my life and I said, 14:57 "Dear Jesus, please help me. 14:59 I want to quit but I can't." 15:01 He began to help with the problem, 15:03 the symptom of sin, 15:04 the drug addiction and the alcohol. 15:06 He began to help with all those things. 15:08 But finally it came to a heart surrender and a decision. 15:12 And as through 3ABN, we got a 3ABN dish. 15:16 Two or three years into my clean, 15:17 my sobriety time, we begin to, 15:20 it wasn't just about potlucks and ice cream socials, 15:23 3ABN represents the gospel, the life changing gospel 15:27 of Jesus Christ 24 hours a day, seven days a week 15:29 and so we were able to watch that in our homes. 15:31 What year would that have been? 15:33 Do you remember? I don't remember. 15:34 Okay. You got married in...? 15:35 I got married in '84, I have like 22 years clean. 15:39 So it would have been in the '80s then? 15:40 Yeah. Okay. 15:42 Yeah, for sure. 15:43 So we had our own satellite dish 15:45 and begin to watch 3ABN 15:46 and so that was a great blessing 15:48 to our commitment 15:49 and we were baptized through 3ABN, 15:52 so it's a great blessing. 15:54 So getting out of prison, getting clean, 15:56 pastor came to the hospital, prayed with me, 15:59 I asked Christ for help, 16:00 I was released from the hospital that night. 16:03 I was supposed to be there for 30 days for a program. 16:05 But the nurse came and she said, 16:07 "I need you to sign this paperwork. 16:08 You've been dismissed." 16:09 I said, Ma'am, I said, 16:11 "What time did they dismiss me?" 16:12 She said, "At 3 o'clock this afternoon." 16:13 'Cause usually when you go home from the hospital, 16:15 you have something called a plan dismissal. 16:17 Greg, you're going home tomorrow. 16:18 So you know, they come and get you and go. 16:20 Yep. 16:21 She said, "You were released at 3 o'clock this afternoon." 16:23 But I've had seven dismissals, you are the last one, 16:26 and God's timing was perfect 16:27 between three in the afternoon and sunset, 16:30 I'd asked Christ for help. 16:32 I was dismissed. 16:33 Friday evening, Sabbath morning, 16:34 I told my wife. 16:36 I said, "I'm going to go to my church, 16:38 and you go to your church because my parents 16:41 were Seventh-day Adventists." 16:42 And she said, "No, I want to go with you." 16:44 So we begin that journey. 16:46 That was in November, 16:47 the following close to November, 16:51 the pastor's wife had the idea of making some packages 16:54 for the folk down at the local county jail. 16:56 I said, "That would be a great idea." 16:58 And I'd already prayed. 16:59 I resigned from my factory job when I got out of the hospital, 17:02 I prayed and I asked God for a job 17:03 and I got this old rusty van and I began selling groceries 17:06 door to door the Amish people. 17:07 So now I'm selling potatoes, and apples, and oranges, 17:10 and chips, candy, snacks, cookies, granola bars 17:12 and so when the pastor's wife had this idea, 17:15 I already had this idea. 17:16 Yeah, you said, "Hey, I've got stuff." 17:17 I said great. 17:19 So every year the grocery business 17:20 funded the prison ministry at the local church. 17:25 So that's kind of the journey 17:26 of why it's important to reach these people, 17:29 the songs, the thinking of you cards, 17:32 the things that they can't get, 17:34 the peanuts was a blessing to me, 17:35 the people that came was a blessing to me 17:37 and so, huge blessing. 17:40 Yeah, it's incredible, go ahead. 17:41 You know, we've had the privilege 17:43 of doing some prison ministry together, 17:46 up at the women's prison in Illinois here. 17:49 And I don't think I've ever heard 17:53 all of your testimony just as much 17:55 as you just share just now. 17:56 I've heard bits and pieces here and there, 17:58 but to see what God did in your life 18:03 and to know where you came from, 18:05 and feeling like you could never be good enough, 18:08 you could never, you're not worth anything 18:10 and just walking, 18:11 we could say Satan's road to destruction. 18:14 And then to see what God did in your life 18:16 and to know God can do that for you. 18:19 God can do that for anybody. 18:21 And through Christmas Behind Bars 18:24 and through this prison ministry, 18:26 God brings hope and help and healing. 18:29 That's incredible testimony, Lemuel. 18:31 Yeah, it is. 18:33 I had a question for you, though. 18:34 You mentioned about your local church 18:36 to the county jail. 18:37 Was it the jail by chance you were in? 18:39 No, it was probably 30 miles away. 18:41 Thirty miles away, okay. 18:42 So the first year we made 350 little packages. 18:44 Through your local church? 18:46 Yeah, through local church, 18:47 You have grocery business funding that. 18:48 Yeah, that's really neat, yeah. 18:50 But that was one jail the first year. 18:52 We had an extra hundred packages that night, 18:54 because we made extra, we didn't want to run out, 18:56 we made for 450 I think. 18:57 So on the way home that night 18:59 I stopped by our local county jail 19:00 and I said, "How many inmates do you have?" 19:02 I mean, this is 11 o'clock at night 19:04 they said about 100 inmates. 19:05 I said, "Good." 19:07 I said, 19:08 "No I only had 50 packages left over." 19:10 They had 100 inmates. 19:12 And I said, "Look, can I leave these packages 19:14 and each inmate can share a package." 19:16 And so they approved it. 19:17 So the first year it was really two jails. 19:19 Then the next year it was 3, 5, 10, 12, 15. 19:22 So every year it continued to grow 19:24 up until we were probably 3000 packages, 19:27 3000 jails every year, 19:29 it would always finished by Christmas. 19:30 Because I thought Christmas was the only time 19:32 the sheriff's heart would be soft 19:33 and the only time that he's at home at Christmas 19:35 that he would allow his inmates to have anything special. 19:37 I thought it would only, so it kept growing, 19:39 it went to November-December, 19:41 it went to October-November, every year we kept backing up 19:43 and so then we'd finished by Christmas. 19:45 And then it is all year long so. 19:47 Now it's Christmas all year. 19:48 And now you do Christmas all year. 19:49 All year long, well, they call it Christmas Behind, 19:51 Christmas in July, they call it 19:53 and we want to share the gospel, 19:54 you know, the birth of Christ and the true meaning of it. 19:56 3ABN's been working with you and your wife 19:58 and Christmas Behind Bars for a number of years. 20:00 Lemuel, I remember this is just kind of 20:02 going back a little bit. 20:03 I was manager of the call center 20:04 and we had some literature and I remember you 20:06 reaching out to 3ABN and when we said, 20:09 asking if we had any literature, 20:11 and we said, "Yeah, we've got some." 20:12 And I remember Lemuel, you come in with, 20:15 I don't know what that van was, what was the van? 20:17 It was a 15 passenger van... With a luggage box on top. 20:21 And we had several pallets, you know, 20:23 we had different leftover pieces of literature 20:25 and stuff through the years and he said, 20:28 "Yeah, I'll come pick it up, it's okay, it's good. 20:30 I'll meet you such and such a time, 20:31 that's wonderful. 20:32 So he shows up in his van, I didn't know 20:34 what he was bringing, I had quite a bit and Lemuel. 20:36 He's so optimistic. 20:38 He's just like, "Oh, yeah, let's just put it in here." 20:39 I said, "Okay." 20:41 And the van's like this and as we loaded, 20:42 it's like this and like this. 20:44 Do you remember that, Lemuel? Yeah, sure do. 20:46 And he left 3ABN, I don't know, you couldn't have fit any, 20:50 I don't think another piece of paper, 20:51 that's probably exaggerating in there 20:52 but that van was loaded with literature. 20:55 Tell us why literature 20:56 'cause we talked about the snacks and stuff, 20:58 literature, Bible truth literature 21:00 is very important to Christmas Behind Bars as well. 21:03 Amen, because one of those books 21:05 could be read and reread and we appreciated 21:07 3ABN's donation for that and you continued to help. 21:10 Yes. 21:11 You know, the snacks are going to be gone, 21:13 the love remains but now there's material 21:15 that they can pick up and read. 21:16 They have time to read 21:18 and so we put a multitude of books 21:20 whether it's Great Controversy, Desire of Ages, 21:22 Ten Commandments Twice Removed and so the books 21:25 that you donated went 21:28 to many different jails and prisons. 21:31 You went down the road and how far do you make it? 21:33 I probably made it 21:34 to the first rest area from 3ABN 21:36 and I stopped and checked the tires 21:38 'cause they looked really low. 21:39 I felt them and they were really hot 21:41 and so I called the tire place back home 21:42 and I said if I put more air in these tires, 21:44 I said does that make it better? 21:45 They said no. It's gonna blow. 21:48 They said, so I went all the way home 21:50 unloaded those books and ironically... 21:52 Did the tires blow on the way home? 21:53 No, made it home, went to the church, 21:55 unloaded them, come back, got another load 21:58 and I think I probably got about three or four van 22:00 loads of books from 3ABN that went to jails and prisons. 22:04 Daniel and Revelations was one of the books. 22:06 So... 22:07 And that, I believe is we're trying 22:09 to calculate the time. 22:10 I think it was in the mid-2000s, 22:12 early 2000s when you came to 3ABN and picked that up. 22:15 And I think about that old van and I think about now 22:18 'cause this is also an update on Christmas Behind Bars 22:21 and what God is continuing to do. 22:22 Amen. 22:24 The Lord has blessed you with some bigger trucks. 22:27 Tell us about that one truck I think you said 22:28 and it was a great story about where you said no 22:32 and then you said yes. 22:33 Yeah, Christmas, we always dealt with the vans 22:36 and the van was actually 22:38 a piece of equipment that we use. 22:39 We sold groceries to the Amish community 22:41 during school time 22:43 and the summertime we take Amish people on tours. 22:45 So we had the 15 passenger van 22:47 so then we started pulling trailers, 22:49 filling them with packages and goods 22:51 and I drive around parking lots and look, 22:53 I said we need a truck, my wife and I would look at, 22:55 so why are we even looking at parking lots. 22:57 We don't even have any money to buy a truck 22:59 so we stopped one day to get fuel 23:02 and there was an empty truck sitting in this lot. 23:04 This guy said, "Yeah, you can use that on Wednesday." 23:06 So I'm using their truck on Wednesdays, 23:08 the guy asked me said, "Are you paying for the fuel 23:09 or am I paying for the fuel?" 23:11 I said, "I don't know, you fill it up." 23:12 And then, so they paid for the fuel, 23:14 they gave us the truck on Wednesday 23:16 and so I always had to have it back by 5 o'clock. 23:19 Somebody said they had a truck, they donate. 23:21 So I took it the mechanic and they said, "No, 23:23 it has over 500,000 miles. 23:24 It's got a lot of blow by and this trucks gonna cost you 23:27 a lot of money and you don't want this truck." 23:29 So I told the guy 23:30 that wanted to give us his truck. 23:31 I said, "No, we better pass on that." 23:33 I said it's pretty rough, you know 23:35 and then one day I was using this borrowed truck 23:37 had to have it back by 5 o'clock 23:39 and I'm thinking, here I am, hurrying, 23:41 and this guy's got this truck and I called and said, 23:43 "That would be a great truck." 23:45 And that truck is running, running, 23:46 it probably has almost 600,000 miles on it. 23:48 Oh really? 23:49 The International dealership cannot believe, 23:51 it's never been overhauled. 23:52 So it still has some blow-by. 23:54 It still has blow-by 23:55 but it keeps running and running. 23:56 So praise the Lord. So God is good. 23:58 So yeah, we have trucks 24:00 and we have some semi trucks even and trailers. 24:04 But the ministry is continued to grow 24:06 for the last 20 years. 24:08 It started in a little church room. 24:09 It started with 350 packages, then five jail, 24:12 every year one prison, two prison and now 24:16 it's not just Indiana, it's not Illinois, 24:18 it's not just Arkansas, it's not Alabama, Minnesota, 24:21 but it continues to grow across the country. 24:24 Two ways it grows. People take the idea. 24:27 They do it in their own area, 24:28 but the hub of Christmas Behind Bars 24:30 is in Indiana and we need help to package 24:35 with the packages together. 24:37 We have a lot of supporters, Amish Mennonite people, 24:39 but our warehouse is too small to put packages together 24:42 where we're at. 24:43 So we need help 24:44 as the ministry continues to grow. 24:46 You've been using a warehouse 24:47 and you've been renting a warehouse recently, 24:50 but the Lord is opening up some opportunities 24:52 maybe to purchase. 24:54 Purchase a warehouse, 24:55 we moved from the church to a warehouse, 24:58 small garage area type warehouse. 25:00 That bit, that was sold 25:02 and then we moved to another warehouse, 25:05 which was for sale for quite a few years. 25:07 They let us use it, 25:08 they didn't charged us to use it. 25:10 That property sold two years ago 25:13 so we had to find a warehouse. 25:14 So now we've leased one, 25:16 the Amish people have come to help fix it up. 25:18 So it's fixed up and ready to go. 25:20 We've leased it for one full year. 25:22 Now we just, we told him, 25:24 Mack, actually we will get our lease money back 25:26 for this year if the purchase of the property goes, 25:29 so the guy said, "Hey, I'll give you your money back 25:30 for this year's rent." 25:31 So there is a warehouse available 25:33 and we need some help. 25:34 Amen. And that's what we need. 25:36 That's what we're asking you today too is that 25:38 and Lemuel is gonna be showing us some video too, 25:41 is that there's a real need you have right here 25:42 because this warehouse is not just 25:44 where you store stuff. 25:46 This is you use it for many things 25:47 so explain how you use the warehouse currently 25:49 and what your plans are? 25:51 There's a lot of product that comes in, 25:52 we will get pretzels in bulk and then we'll have 25:54 30, 40, 50 people come to the warehouse 25:56 and we'll take and make one pound packages of pretzels 25:58 and so we re-package stuff there at the warehouse 26:01 and then we put the bags together there. 26:03 And so it's a great blessing to get people to come 26:05 and the Indiana Academy students come 26:07 to the warehouse and help out. 26:09 I think we should actually start 26:11 showing some of that video that we have. 26:12 And you can actually talk about what we're seeing right now 26:13 because this is really an incredible opportunity 26:16 for Christmas Behind bars. 26:17 Okay, so this is one of your trucks. 26:19 So that's not the greeneries, these are the buildings. 26:20 Oh, here's the warehouse. Yep. 26:22 This is the warehouse here. The semis in the dock. 26:24 It's full of pretzels that need to be re-bagged. 26:27 This is inside the warehouse. Very nice. 26:29 Volunteers come, we don't have enough room. 26:33 They were sorting product there. 26:34 The man there, the black gentleman, 26:36 he was actually in prison, got a package. 26:39 Donald Hatton was in prison, he got a package. 26:42 So we get product in, we have to sort out product, 26:45 make sure it doesn't have anything 26:46 that the jail or prison won't approve. 26:48 So this is a warehouse 26:50 and it's actually full of product 26:51 but we have a warehouse connected to it. 26:54 That was the other building 26:55 that we saw from the air, right? 26:57 Yes, that we would be able to sort, 26:58 we'd be able to sort product in. 26:59 So right now you've leased just one of these warehouses? 27:02 Yes, this is the only spot that we have available to us. 27:05 Square footage? 27:06 Probably about 7000 square feet. 27:08 Right here that we're looking at? 27:09 Yes, that's correct. 27:10 Well, you use every little bit of space in there? 27:12 We sure do. We sure do. We don't have no office space. 27:14 I mean we just use, if you call me, 27:16 I'm probably on a fork truck or driving a semi. 27:18 Donald actually got a package 27:20 so it's one of the first packages 27:21 from Marion Seventh-day Adventist Church. 27:23 Oh, really. 27:25 Yep, the first packages we made. 27:26 And here he is helping? 27:27 Yep, insulated garage doors, stuff comes in. 27:30 Has a dock? Well, it has two docks. 27:32 And so, we're able to actually unload with fork trucks 27:35 as to where we never were able to do that before. 27:37 It all had to be done by hand. 27:40 So this is one of Christmas Behind Bars' fork trucks. 27:43 Yep. 27:44 I think Lemuel, how God has blessed 27:46 They were donated, that's for sure. 27:47 I remember calling my wife the first time 27:49 we had a fork truck and I said, "Come look." 27:51 I said, "We can actually pull a pallet 27:53 to the back with a chain and we can lift it off." 27:55 And so now here we're able to drive on and off. 28:00 Oh, this is packing the pretzels. 28:02 Yeah. Yeah. 28:03 And all this is getting ready is to make packets. 28:05 Yep, that's correct. 28:06 We have to do all that preparatory work. 28:08 Now tell us about the Bibles? 28:10 The Bibles, we just sent out 35 study Bibles yesterday, 28:13 inmates request study Bibles, and so we can use new 28:16 or used Bibles. 28:17 They can send them to us. 28:19 A used Bible it's highlighted, it's underlined. 28:21 These are homemade thinking of you cards, 28:23 that children have made, books, we need devotional books. 28:27 Remnant Publication has given us 28:29 great pricing on books. 28:30 There's all the 3ABN books. 28:31 If they'd like to help with that. 28:33 So we need books, we need Bibles, 28:35 we need literature but we need a place to go home 28:38 for Christmas Behind Bars. 28:39 We moved for the last X number of years. 28:42 We moved from one place to another, 28:43 this has been fixed up, the Amish people 28:45 have donated concrete and efforts. 28:47 That's not the truck that had 600,000 miles, is it? 28:49 No, no. Okay, yeah, just beautiful. 28:53 Yeah. 28:54 So what, okay, so give us a little more 28:55 'cause there's gonna be some people at home 28:57 like okay, this is great. 28:58 I want to donate. 28:59 Others have a few more questions. 29:01 Okay. So you've got one building. 29:02 There's one building we're leasing. 29:04 Okay, but what we're looking at purchasing here? 29:05 3.7 acres. 3.7 acres. 29:07 There's three buildings, one would be 29:09 for a mechanical shop 29:11 and they'll be able to drive trucks in, 29:12 the other would for packaging. 29:14 So we'd have about 15,000 square feet 29:17 of usable space. 29:18 And right now you're currently just leasing one. 29:20 Yeah, about 7000 square feet. 29:22 It is air conditioned, insulated, and heated. 29:24 So that way we keep the product 29:26 'cause when you get product, 29:27 close dated product at a good price, 29:29 you want to keep it so it's all fixed up 29:31 and ready to go. 29:33 Yeah, yeah, I mean, what a fantastic opportunity 29:35 and the nice thing is that you're already located there. 29:37 It's not like, okay, we found a piece of property 29:40 but it's another state away or it's 300 miles away. 29:44 It's right where you're currently located 29:45 and it's come for sale. 29:47 So what it's been at, what has it been appraised 29:49 at that whole 3 point some acres. 29:51 285,000. Okay. 29:53 Oh, yeah 285,000 and so it's durable to build, 29:58 what we want would probably be 500,000. 30:00 That's what they're asking. Oh, yeah. 30:01 Plus you need the property, plus you need the driveway, 30:04 plus you need so this is already functional 30:06 and it's been home for us, it's cozy. 30:09 Tell us about the location 30:10 'cause someone's asking about that, 30:11 so is this in the sticks? 30:13 Oh, it's out in the country, it's probably seven miles 30:15 from our community, Bluffton. 30:17 It's probably three miles from an interstate 30:19 so when we get on the highway or whatever, 30:21 and it is right on a main road, 30:23 we're about a quarter mile off main road. 30:25 So it's a real blessing. 30:27 And what a blessing to be able to have facility 30:30 to be able to have volunteers come in and assist as well. 30:32 We have lots of Amish Mennonite people. 30:36 Lots of people come to make the packages. 30:38 You guys have helped with bagging's right here at the... 30:39 Oh, yeah, we have. 30:41 We set up a whole assembly line 30:42 at our Thompsonville Christian School at the gym. 30:44 And in the studio. 30:45 And in the studio and we did a whole, 30:46 we did a program on that 30:48 and maybe you caught that program 30:49 where we did the assembly line and helped to package 30:52 and put those together. 30:53 I just had a lady call me from the Chattanooga area 30:56 and they want to do a bagging in their area 30:59 because what they saw here, so we're looking at bagging 31:02 $4000 or $5000 in that area. 31:04 And I don't know, 31:05 if you're catching the vision here 31:07 so what actually and you can correct me 31:08 if I'm wrong on this, but this is where, okay, 31:09 the warehouse is so critical, 31:11 so they get product is donated, he needs a place to store it. 31:14 But not only that, they also pack bags 31:18 for the prison ministry, you know, 31:19 different prisons, jails, in multiple different states 31:23 and that's where that's done is they make packets there. 31:26 They've got to load it into a truck. 31:28 That truck usually driven by you, right? 31:30 He does everything, not only is he the president 31:32 but he does everything as you saw him 31:34 cleaning the mirrors and all that, 31:35 that's Lemuel gets in there 31:37 and does whatever needs to be done. 31:38 So okay, so then they take the truck 31:40 and you'll drive to a prison or jail 31:42 and you help load, you help unload. 31:44 That's correct. 31:46 He speaks too, if you get the opportunity 31:47 to go in jail with him or prison 31:49 to hear him minister it's phenomenal, 31:52 but that's where this warehouse is so beautiful, 31:54 because storage, a good area to spread out. 31:58 Pack everything, have it better organized, 32:00 load it right into the truck 32:02 and take off to the next jail or prison. 32:04 Yeah, just phenomenal opportunity. 32:06 And this is 12 months out of the year. 32:07 That is correct. 32:08 We're not talking just December or just November, December, 32:11 as you said, or October, November, December. 32:13 We're looking at 12 months of the year, 32:16 this full time ministry takes place 32:18 and with volunteers, 32:20 but we need your help, 3ABN stands with the ministry 32:24 of Christmas Behind Bars. 32:26 We believe in what God is doing in 32:28 and through Lemuel and Donna, 32:30 and each member of the team who come 32:32 and the volunteers who come. 32:34 So at the end of this program, 32:36 we're gonna put up contact information 32:38 for Christmas Behind Bars. 32:40 We want to encourage you to just pray and say God, 32:42 what would you have me do to support this ministry, 32:46 to help them get the warehouse 32:48 and the needs that they have here 32:49 because that's an incredible opportunity. 32:52 You know, what's phenomenal about Christmas Behind Bars 32:54 is every inmate receives the package. 32:56 Yes. 32:57 So whether they're Muslim, atheist, Hindu, 33:00 whatever Christian, non-Christian, 33:02 so when you think of a prison of having 2000 inmates, 33:05 you're putting a Desire of Ages, 33:06 a Great Controversy, a Steps to Christ, 33:08 Amazing Facts Bible study, 33:10 in every bag along with some necessities. 33:13 Talk to us a moment about some of the speaking 33:17 that takes place and the worship services? 33:19 I know you don't do it at every facility you go to, 33:21 but some of them 33:23 don't just receive a care package, 33:24 you actually go in or bring a team in 33:27 and have a service. 33:28 So talk to us about what that looks like? 33:30 Westville Correctional Facility, 33:32 3500 inmates, the prison's divided into three groups, 33:35 a 1000, 1000, 1000, they have three recreation areas. 33:38 We show up at 3 o'clock in the morning. 33:39 We unload 3500 packages, 33:41 a whole semi tractor trailer full, 33:43 we unload them, they go a 1000, 1200 in this gym, 33:46 1000, 1200 and so then we go and we have services. 33:49 They bring the population out in groups 33:51 of 2, 3, 400 at a time, depending on the facility 33:55 and then we have an hour, we have an hour, 33:57 an hour to sing a few songs 33:59 as they're coming in, 10 minutes to share hope, 34:01 five minutes of a scripture somehow to connect with them 34:04 that we've been where you is. 34:06 And we know you don't want to be here. 34:07 And by God's grace, your life can become different 34:10 and we just want to leave with them the hope 34:12 to try one more time, 34:13 because 35 years of failure in that hospital, 34:15 in Charter Beacon Hospital, had that pastor not come, 34:18 had he not prayed, 34:19 had God not met me through a sunset, 34:21 had I not been willing to try one more time, 34:23 I would have went back to prison, 34:24 I was suicidal, or I was gonna die. 34:26 And so we just want to encourage those people to try. 34:30 We want to direct them to Christ 34:31 in the best way we can. 34:33 So that's what it's about. 34:34 So sometimes in the county jail, 34:35 we have 15 minutes with them, 34:37 you walk into a pod, there's 20-30 people there. 34:39 What do you say to them? 34:40 We have people come in and we say, well, 34:42 we don't know what to say. 34:43 Well, tell them what Jesus has done for you. 34:44 Amen. 34:46 Tell them that how your life began to be encouraged 34:47 and so we want to tell them what faith is, 34:50 we want to tell them that 34:51 maybe you can see a spot of sun ray on the floor, 34:55 you can't see the sun 34:56 but you can see the reflection of it, 34:58 so we pray they can see the reflection of Christ 35:00 and that they'd be willing to try. 35:02 That's what Christmas Behind Bars is. 35:03 That's beautiful. 35:05 I know I was even touched and this isn't being crude 35:06 but you were there I remember in the... 35:09 You're talking the one through Logan. 35:10 Yeah, correctional facility. 35:11 Yeah, in Illinois and Jill and I 35:13 and several others had the opportunity to be 35:15 in there with you. 35:16 And you were there was like several layers 35:18 I know different floors but you can see down 35:21 and you stood up on that second floor 35:23 talking down to the people that were in the cells below 35:26 and those that are on the same level as you 35:27 and you had a roll of toilet paper. 35:30 Not being crude, but you take the things 35:32 and explain how you would use that and, you know, 35:34 you found toilet paper there in the jail that prison Yeah. 35:37 And you gave a powerful lesson about that. 35:39 Well, see they can lock us up, 35:41 they can put us in prison to try to change our behavior 35:43 on the outside but you know, 35:44 they can put you in solitary confinement, 35:46 which I was put in solitary confinement 35:47 when I was in prison. 35:49 They'll strip you naked, put you in a cell, 35:50 give you one blanket, 35:51 a roll of toilet paper and that's it. 35:53 Can they make you use toilet paper? 35:54 Nope. 35:55 The hardest, biggest, no, they can't do. 35:57 No, you're absolutely right. 35:58 But you know, I bet that 99.9% of you choose to use that. 36:01 Why? Why do you choose to use that? 36:03 Because it cleans up messy external situations. 36:06 With Christ, if you'll just open your heart 36:09 and allow him to come in, that's where the change, 36:12 because what's gonna happen is the external unmanageability 36:15 is going to come into conformity 36:17 with what's going on in the heart. 36:19 So if they'd be willing to try 36:20 and realize that all their life, 36:21 they haven't been a failure, they have never realized 36:24 that there's hope for their life 36:25 and so just simple analogies I mean, 36:27 if you take like a... 36:29 I brought this with me this morning. 36:31 I have $100 bill here. 36:32 In the prisons, you can only use 10 or 20's 36:34 and you ask the inmates, you say, 36:35 "How many of you would want this?" 36:37 Well, they raise their hand. 36:38 And then you crumple it all up and say, 36:40 "Well, how many of you still want it?" 36:41 They still raise their hand and you throw it on the ground 36:43 and you step on it? 36:44 How many of you still want it? Why? 36:46 Because it's worth something. Amen. 36:49 That's how it is with Christ. 36:50 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. 36:52 We were created in God's image. 36:54 So we want to let them know that their DNA is mapped back 36:57 to the beginning of time that even though sin 36:59 entered in the life, we're born with a handicap, 37:01 it's not called drug addiction or alcoholism. 37:03 We're born with a handicap and it's called sin. 37:06 And if they can just realize that 37:08 and invite Christ in that their value is still the same 37:12 even more so because Jesus died 37:15 on the cross of Calvary to buy us back. 37:17 So if we can just let them know to try 37:19 so that's what Christmas Behind Bars is. 37:21 It's not about I think 30, 40, 50,000 people 37:24 were served last year. 37:26 It's not about Minnesota needs 5000 packages this year. 37:29 North Dakota last year called for the first time 37:32 they're doing, they want 1000 packages there, 37:35 South Dakota needs a 1000, 2000 packages. 37:37 The Alabama is waiting on 7000 packages. 37:40 You know, the Logan Correctional Facility 37:42 we need 3500 packages, 37:44 this 2000 packages I think Logan, 37:47 the Statesville Correctional Facility 37:48 here in Joliet, Illinois 3600 inmates. 37:51 Why are we at Statesville? 37:53 Because one of your viewers saw a program 37:55 and said we would like to reach out 37:57 and their church is raising funds to sponsor 37:59 the Statesville Correction Facility 38:00 which will be delivered in a couple weeks. 38:02 So churches can sponsor this in their local area? 38:04 They can sponsor, they can help, 38:06 or we can come there and get them involved. 38:08 They can make thinking of you cards, 38:09 they can help collect Bibles and send Bibles. 38:11 So there's a multitude of ways that people can be involved. 38:14 God has brought this platform 38:16 that many people can be involved 38:18 in active missionary service. 38:20 But we need a hub, we need a foundation, 38:22 we need a warehouse that we can continue to put stuff 38:24 and grow out of there to help other ministries. 38:27 You know, and this is what we've seen 38:29 time and time again, 38:30 Lemuel, is that the viewers and listeners at 3ABN, 38:33 you know, they stand for projects and ministries, 38:36 and we know God's gonna provide the funds. 38:38 Amen, for the warehouse. This isn't live. 38:40 And we haven't talked about this 38:42 but you were supposed to forth too. 38:43 Absolutely, I was just thinking that, I said, 38:45 3ABN is set forth to doing that. 38:46 Because this is really important. 38:48 I think about the many souls that are being touched 38:50 and it's not just the snacks, there's literature in there, 38:52 and we see even the requests coming through 38:54 because you pass that along to us 38:57 as well for literature, 38:58 we get letters from the inmates 39:00 from all over the United States. 39:03 So it just doesn't stop at the snacks, 39:05 it goes deeper and that's the spiritual part, 39:06 which means so very much. 39:08 I want to say, it's not always a smooth road 39:10 because when the chaplains, 39:12 they don't want literature about the Sabbath 39:14 or the state of the dead or issues like that. 39:16 So we get oppositions, but the Lord, 39:18 we've seen Him move people out of the way 39:20 and move chaplains and move superintendents. 39:22 So there's opposition on the way 39:24 because the truth going forward. 39:25 Oh, yeah. 39:27 And so, we pray and through prayer, 39:28 it continues to grow. 39:30 Our conference president 39:32 actually went to the prison last year, 39:35 where I was in prison at and help distribute the bags. 39:38 And this year, he said, "What date can we go?" 39:40 And he's bringing 10 or 12 of his pastoral staff to help 39:45 because he said, 39:46 "It's gonna be a good experience for them." 39:48 Lemuel, tell us your needs. 39:49 Well, it's obviously the warehouse 39:50 that's been appraised at $285,000 39:52 and God's gonna provide those funds. 39:54 Yeah, no shadow of a doubt there, 39:55 what an opportunity, 39:56 it's come for sale, you can purchase that. 39:58 What other needs do you have? 39:59 We need some volunteers, we need people 40:01 who are willing to help. 40:05 We had some people and think Christmas Behind Bars 40:07 is just all going to jails and prisons. 40:10 There's bags to fold, there's envelopes to stamp. 40:12 There's all kinds of work. I mean, there's lawns to mow. 40:15 And so there is some housing that's available. 40:18 And we need, 40:20 there's a three bedroom mobile home. 40:22 The Amish have put brand new cabinets in it, 40:24 it's been fixed up and so we need some people 40:26 that would say, "Hey, 40:28 I would like to help with ministry, 40:29 I'd like to get my CDDL license 40:32 or I'd like to help drive a truck 40:33 or I'd like to, it's just simple stuff." 40:36 To do like a year commitment 40:37 or you are just talking a couple of weeks, a month? 40:40 A year commitment would be great. 40:41 Oh, absolutely. 40:43 I mean, something you know, we at least get funded 40:44 and, you know. 40:45 Could you use some short term volunteers as well? 40:47 People who can just come in 40:49 for a day or a weekend or something? 40:50 Yeah, as far as the travel I don't know. 40:52 And I guess if they have unlimited airline miles, 40:55 they could fly into Fort Wayne we could pick them up 40:57 and then they come to the warehouse and then, 40:59 so, no we need all kinds of help. 41:01 Okay. What about Bibles? 41:02 Talk to us about your need for Bibles? 41:04 Bibles, you know, to give an inmate a Bible is, 41:08 especially used Bible is because it's already broke in, 41:11 it's highlighted, it's underlined. 41:13 So we need Bibles. 41:15 So whether it's a nice study Bible, 41:17 or whether it's a regular Bible, 41:18 we just ask that they people told me said 41:21 why don't you go to the Dollar Store 41:22 and buy Bibles? 41:23 Well, there's three columns, they already can't hardly read, 41:26 It ain't very good lighting, 41:28 and you got this newspaper print. 41:30 And so we want to give them a Bible 41:32 that we would want to read 41:34 or so nice Bible is a real blessing. 41:36 So people can send Bibles to your ministry? 41:37 They can send Bibles, we are a 501c3, 41:40 so if they want to, you know, 41:42 get a tax credit for that or whatever, 41:44 if they want to buy Bibles from Remnant 41:45 or however I don't know, but we need Bibles 41:47 and devotional materials. 41:49 Talk to us a moment, I see we have a home, 41:50 I'm going to lean forward here. 41:52 We have a whole bunch of cards here. 41:54 Talk to us about the cards here? 41:55 You know, people send cards, the inmates, 41:59 that's their way of telling us thank you. 42:02 I mean, the man drew this with pencil 42:04 and it was all you could tell it 42:05 was a hand drawn thing and so he was in Arkansas. 42:09 And so we just want to, that's the only way 42:12 we have to send stuff to our sponsors. 42:14 Look at that, isn't that amazing? 42:16 When people write to us, or they donate, 42:18 we send them some letters, 42:20 we make copies of the inmates letters 42:22 and their drawings, their artwork 42:24 and so that's the only thing we can give back to people. 42:27 And when we go to the jails and prisons, we tell them, 42:29 if you appreciate anything about this ministry at all, 42:32 thank God, number one. 42:34 Number two, thank your administration 42:36 and I said last but not least, 42:38 you can write a letter or draw a picture, 42:40 whatever, I said, that's what we give 42:42 to the sponsors because it's not us. 42:44 Yeah. 42:45 I'm just looking here at the inside of this card 42:47 we held up. 42:48 It says, "There isn't enough words 42:50 to express all the appreciation 42:51 we hold in our hearts for you and the volunteers 42:53 who come into our world 42:54 and brought us the best Christmas 42:56 that so many of us have had in so many years." 42:59 Amen. 43:00 What does that do for you, 43:02 when you read something like that, 43:03 and you see that God is using you 43:07 and the team of Christmas Behind Bars 43:09 to touch someone's life for eternity? 43:14 I never dreamed that my life would be about anything. 43:17 I never dreamed that I'd be able to, 43:20 I can't preach and I don't know 43:21 where all the scriptures are in the Bible. 43:24 But if we could just share hope with one more person, 43:28 it's all worth it. 43:29 Yeah, amen. 43:30 Because that one person is going to get it, 43:32 one person is going to have that relationship 43:34 and it's gonna continue to grow and that one person 43:36 is gonna share hope with somebody else 43:38 and that's what we've commissioned these people 43:40 is don't wait until you get out of prison. 43:42 It starts now. 43:43 Because their sphere of influence, 43:45 their children, their wife, their husband, 43:46 their sphere of influence, 43:48 will start now to bring hope for the kingdom. 43:51 What I think was powerful to, Lemuel, you got it 43:53 and you think about now the influence 43:54 that you have 43:55 with Christmas Behind Bars is phenomenal. 43:58 You know, when you think about that pastor 44:00 and that team that went in, what a difference it's made. 44:04 And I'll tell you, out of the kindness 44:06 of how much time do we have left? 44:08 We have about seven minutes. 44:09 You know, when we're in the county jail, 44:12 we were bad. 44:14 My brother was with me, we were bad. 44:15 We'd set the jail on fire, 44:16 we'd stole most of the drugs out of the evidence room. 44:18 I was a trustee. 44:20 So we were in solitary confinement, 44:22 we lost all of our privileges and for the sheriff 44:26 to allow these people to come in 44:27 and sing to us at that time, was just absolutely amazing. 44:32 That was God. That was God. 44:34 The prison where I was incarcerated, 44:38 we went to the superintendent, 44:39 we ask him, we said, "Look, 44:41 can we bring this program to your prison?" 44:43 He said, "No." 44:45 We asked the program director, he said, "No." 44:48 So then I went to the chaplain. I said, "Okay, I get it." 44:50 You don't want the big package. 44:52 I said, "What about the quart baggie 44:55 filled with peanuts?" 44:57 Because that's what I got. Yeah, that's right. 44:58 So I was willing to downsize quote baggie 45:00 filled with peanuts with a Bible study application 45:04 and the program director or the chaplain asked 45:06 the superintendent and the word come back was no 45:08 and don't ask no more. 45:09 Wow. 45:11 But we continue to pray every morning at worship. 45:12 And we said, "Lord, we know you can make a way." 45:14 That's right. 45:15 Chaplain got a job somewhere else, 45:17 program director was moved out to recreation, 45:19 and the superintendent was moved to another prison 45:21 way across the state and every prison 45:24 the state of Indiana was done, 45:26 Lord opened the door but one, it was that one over there. 45:29 We asked him again. He said, "No." 45:30 He was moved from that prison to central office. 45:33 And so God continues to be in control. 45:36 And we just need help at this time 45:37 as we continue to grow. 45:39 You have a story of an inmate, 45:41 I know you have so many stories, 45:42 something that just one that you would like to share 45:45 of someone that's maybe life has been touched. 45:47 I know yours of course. 45:48 Lady in the county jail, she was locked up 45:51 and she was in a group of pod with other women 45:53 and someone told her about the Sabbath. 45:55 She was like, it was new to her. 45:57 And then she got put in segregation, 45:58 solitary confinement all by herself 46:00 and it was written on the wall 46:02 about the Sabbath of the Bible is Saturday. 46:04 Oh, wow. 46:06 And then in her bag out of about 46:07 30 different books we use, 46:09 she got the book Ten Commandments 46:10 Twice Removed 46:12 by Danny Shelton and Shelley Quinn. 46:14 And she wrote that letter she said, 46:15 "I now know without a shadow of a doubt 46:18 that the Sabbath of the Bible is Saturday." 46:20 So someone wrote it on the wall. 46:22 In solitary confinement? 46:23 Yeah, some about the Sabbath I don't know 46:25 what was written on the wall, but it was written 46:27 so someone told her, she got moved to segregation 46:29 probably for being bad, there it was written 46:31 again so now seed been planted, 46:32 seed been sown and now she got the book, 46:35 and it resonated in her life. 46:37 Through Christmas Behind Bars, she got the packet. 46:39 Through Christmas Behind Bars. Go ahead. 46:41 Talk to us a moment about your vision for the future? 46:44 It's good. 46:46 If you were to say, and I know this is looking 46:48 down the road a bit, but if you were to say, 46:51 in the next five years I want to see us get into, 46:54 I don't know what your vision is, 46:55 but so many states or I want to see 46:57 so many inmates reached or what would be your vision 47:00 for the future? 47:01 Our vision for the future would be that 47:03 we would like to see more people 47:05 invest not financially just here today, 47:08 but we'd like to see them invest in their time 47:11 and that prison ministries would have more 47:13 of a precedence in churches. 47:15 Like a presence. 47:17 A presence, would be a budget line 47:18 in churches that more people 47:20 because it's hard for us when we call far away, 47:22 a pastor won't go and baptize somebody 47:24 'cause they're busy and that's, that's okay, 47:27 they're busy, but 3ABN is able to come in through the airwaves 47:30 and on the TV and music and stuff. 47:32 So that's a blessing. 47:33 Somehow the Lord still gonna make a way. 47:35 Our vision is that more people would take this idea. 47:38 That was the original purpose 47:39 of sending a little bag to 3ABN. 47:41 We didn't even want to come. 47:43 We wanted them to show that your church 47:45 can put together 300 bags and go down 47:47 to your local county jail... 47:49 And hand them out. And hand them out. 47:50 And if your local county jail say no, 47:52 go to the next county next to you, 47:53 and if they say no go to next one 47:55 'cause someone gonna say yes, 47:56 Jesus isn't going to take 47:57 someone's willingness to not use it. 47:59 So we'd like to see more churches 48:00 get involved with their local county jail 48:02 because that's a pivotal point in that person's life 48:05 that's been seemingly forgotten, 48:07 and they can introduce him to Christ. 48:08 Do you know I have a figure on how many are incarcerated 48:10 in the United States? 48:12 I don't. Could it be in the thousands? 48:13 I don't. 48:14 I know, I looked up a thing, just the other day. 48:17 And they said that most that 90% I think 48:21 that might be wrong of males that are incarcerated, 48:24 people that are incarcerated 48:25 don't have a father figure in their home. 48:27 Oh, wow. 48:29 So you know what, if we can introduce them 48:31 to our Heavenly Father. 48:32 It doesn't matter if they're confined 48:34 in solitary confinement, so. 48:35 If they can be introduced to our Heavenly Father, 48:37 they can know that they're sons and daughters of God 48:39 and their part to inherit the kingdom of heaven. 48:42 That's what this ministry is about. 48:43 Amen. You are a preacher. 48:46 I know you said, "I'm not a preacher." 48:48 But as soon as you said that, 48:49 I've been thinking the entire program 48:51 that the Lord has blessed you with the ability 48:54 to share your testimony of what He's done in your life 48:57 and to share His love with others 49:00 and to share the Scripture with others. 49:01 So you are a preacher. And we've been privileged. 49:03 We haven't even mentioned this yet, 49:05 working together with Free Indeed, 49:07 which is a program that airs on 3ABN, 49:10 and we've partnered with you producing that 49:12 for many years. 49:14 Oh, yeah, Free Indeed was recorded. 49:15 It's been a number of years ago but what a blessing. 49:18 I know that's touched many people. 49:19 And what we want to do right now 49:21 is we want to get ready to go to our little address role. 49:25 Again, this would be for contact information 49:27 for Lemuel and Christmas Behind Bars. 49:29 We're talking specifically today 49:31 about the special opportunity he has of purchasing. 49:34 Let's talk about this again. 49:36 We're putting the picture up right now. 49:37 It is three buildings. Three buildings. 49:40 One would be mechanical shop. Yep. 49:42 Two warehouses, has a dock, concrete, beautiful. 49:45 3.7 acres. 49:46 3.7 acres, three miles off the interstate, 49:49 insulated on the inside. 49:50 Already air conditioned. 49:52 Climate controlled, 49:53 beautiful concrete on the inside. 49:55 Don't have to do a lot to fix it up at all. 49:56 Yep, it's ready to go. 49:57 Yep and it's being appraised at $285,000, 50:02 God is providing that those funds right now. 50:04 I know he is, Lemuel, 50:06 the work that you and your team, 50:08 you don't have many, it's you, your wife. 50:10 A lot of our volunteers have either been in prison 50:14 or their community service or they have so on probation, 50:17 but it's a blessing to work with everyone. 50:20 So there's contact information would be ways that 50:22 you can either if you want to support 50:24 the special project 50:25 as far as the warehouse, you can do that. 50:27 Or you can if you're interested in volunteering 50:30 or being a part of helping out Christmas Behind Bars. 50:32 And I also know 50:34 because this is a blessing to 3ABN, 50:35 if you want to become a monthly supporter 50:37 of Christmas Behind Bars. 50:39 I know that's critical for 3ABN 50:41 as well to get that consistent monthly donation 50:43 to help fund the ministry. 50:45 The same I know would be true for Christmas Behind Bars, 50:47 so we want to go to that address role right now. 50:52 Christmas Behind Bars has a variety of ministry needs 50:54 and you can make a difference. 50:56 Visit their website to find all the ways 50:58 you can help including donations for Bibles, 51:00 gift packages, transportation needs 51:02 or assistance for inmates 51:04 and their families upon release. 51:05 Their website is ChristmasBehindBars.org. 51:08 That's ChristmasBehindBars.org. 51:11 You can also email Contact@ChristmasBehindBars.org 51:14 or call them at (268) 827-8835. 51:19 That's (268) 827-8835 51:23 or write them at Christmas Behind Bars, 51:25 PO Box 474, Bluffton, Indiana 46714. |
Revised 2019-12-10